Friendster not so friendly

Good old Friendster, my buddy, always known for its edginess! Used to be the most popular social online network in the days. Yeap, you heard me, it’s sure not a typing error. I am really talking about Friendster. Why? Randy asked me the other day when was the last time I was on my Friendster account. I seriously can't remember. Just like everyone else, I instantly fell in love with Facebook and have to admit, an addict too. Sorry buddy for the negligence, met a new mate. Today, I decided to check if my account was still up and running or has good old Friendster shut me down. As expected, it was working well. I added a couple of friends. Read tons of random massages on my inbox. Had some comments to approve. One comment really caught my attention. It was about my profile picture, info and my shoutouts. I was just so excited to wait for my profile page to load, can’t even remember what I wrote and the pictures I have in there. This was what I wrote in the shoutbox as a joke years back in 2004. The cheeky me then. American television comedy-drama series, Desperate housewives of the street of Wisteria Lane was huge then and I decided to switch roles in my little play head to look for a house husband myself. This was the info on my profile page along with an old picture of me in gigantic bug eye sunnies just like how Nicole Richie likes it. Had to blur off certain details, I think i have enough people stalking me already. Certainly do not need more. ...This Ladies and Gentlemen, Readers, Fans and Bloggers is HOW I GOT MY ARSE KICKED IN FRIENDSTER!

Cu Chi Tunnel in Vietnam

The Cu Chi Tunnel is about 70 km to the North-West of Ho Chi Minh City Center. This was during the 1960-1975, The Cu Chi Tunnel systems are currently conserved in Ben Dinh Tunnel and the Ben Duoc Tunnel. The Cu Chi Tunnel is the strong base of the Military Zone Party Commitee, Saigon-Gia Dinh Command Post, Cu Chi District Party Commitee, and all the People of Cu Chi District. The site shows how the people of Cu Chi lived and fought before and during the resistance against the American imperialists. American bombs and wrecked tanks can also be seen around the site. The Ben Dinh Tunnel which is part of the Cu Chi Tunnel system is a well known revolutionary hictoric relic. This was the base of the former leadership and Party Commitee of Cu Chi District, for their accommodations and meetings, a place of unique tactical deployment contributing to the national defending resistance against the enemy.My first experience firing the AK47. Bullets are cheap and you can get to keep the empty coils. Yay.
The Ben Douc Tunnel which is also part of the Cu Chi Tunnel is a unique architectural structure, this is a system of tunnels deeply underground, with several floors, a labyrinth of intricate ways and windings over 200 km long, wherein are sections for accommodations, meetings and preparing battles. The tunnel system embodies the undaunted will intelligence and pride of Cu Chi people, a symbol of Vietnamese revolutionary heroism. Hence, Cu Chi has been awarded the title of ‘Iron Land and Broze Citadel’. Inside the Cu Chi tunnel. The guy in front of me is from Boston, Massachusetts.
Booby traps are everywhere and this trap is attached to the door.

Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself

"Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" (3. Moses 19:18 / Matthew> 19:19 ) This/It's a citation out of the Bible. It's one of the most important phrases in the Christian tradition, Jesus himself called it the "highest command". In the Bible this phrase means to simply love your human neighbours.

Here is my story: We’ve come to know our neighbour’s nature when they first moved in to the house beside us. Told us to get rid of our terrier, that one house dog we had. Selfish and inconsiderate but this I have to say was never expected! Our side of the equator was hit by stormy weathers for days and is expected to run till February. Parts of the country’s power and water supplies were disrupted. We were out of water for 4 days in total, imagine the difficulties! The department of water services didn’t take long to provide each neighbourhood with water tanks and we were wondering when they would provide us with one. Only to know when we got back from work, a water tank was placed at my neighbour’s kitchen compound and was only accessible to them. While the other side of the neighbourhood, a water tank was placed in an open space and was accessible to everyone. I saw people filling up water in their buckets. I mean seriously, to have the heart to conceal water from your neighbour and selfishly keep water where it is out of reach to people who are in need. I have no words to describe this act. From one drama to another, I don’t know how much I can take.

First it was my one dog they requested to be put away so they can let their 20 cats roam around free and poop everywhere, not to mention breeding babies in my garage. Second, they literally broke the license plates of my car into three pieces claiming the bumper of my car touched their fence. Third, they built a roof over our fence and the water runoff lands on our compound creating a waterfall effect. We had to install a water guard because they just don’t care. Forth, we’ve been dealing with the excessive noise every morning because our neighbour runs some sort of a catering service and the van will drop by their house every morning to pick up the food. We’re talking about the screams of the neighbour’s wife ordering her workers to do this and that, making it impossible for us to sleep in. Pa would always tell me, being a good neighbour involves accepting a certain level of inconvenience. But really, not everything has to be tolerated and I called up the police once in front of my neighbour to lodge a complaint. He threatened to slap me, his arm swung at the direction of my face but stopped a few inch from my face. Pa and the neighbour had a long talk afterwards, the stupid man said he couldn’t control his temper and said sorry! Pa gave him a warning and only to know when Pa returned from Jakarta, our neighbour kept a JKR water tank in his kitchen for his use and we were living with no water supply for four days! This has escalated into another bitter confrontation. I hope it’s not going to be like…Till death do us part! This I say is bad faith.

Hello, Can You Hear Us?

The feeling of solitary echoes back over and over. The family unit is nowhere to be found. Ma and Ah boy, my brother, are in Ipoh. Pa is in Jakarta with his sister. Sonny, my sister, is staying at Pa’s house and where am I? At Ma’s crib. Two words to describe this: Divorce Aftermath. Chinese New Year has always been a huge celebration in our household ever since we were born. Ma would really bring out the festive mood with tons of food, karaoke, black jacks, poker, fireworks and we would get big plumy angpows from both our parents. However, Sonny and I knew that this was going to be the very first year that we would be celebrating it together without the family. The biggest thing about CNY is the eve, family members would return home for a reunion dinner. I suggested to have a little dinner with Sonny, at least one member of my family is in town. If she was still in Denver, I’d be all alone! We decided to eat out, bought some clothes, you know just spending time together and we played some fireworks! I think we really lived it up making sure we weren’t feeling lonely this occasion. Although we didn’t have a proper reunion dinner with all the must have food, the night ended with us decorating Pa’s house with some Ox décor we bought from Hua Ho. Lol. It’s funny cos Pa is Indian, guess we decorated the wrong house.

Officially, the year of the rat departs today, January 26 and with that the Ox arrives. Here is the prediction for those born in the year of the Rat.

Yearly Prediction for the Rat
Jan. 26, 2009 - Feb. 13, 2010
Beware of burnout this year, dear Rat. You're such a hard worker, and this year you may feel even more pressured to put your nose to the grindstone. Keep in mind that you're naturally resourceful, which means you can stretch resources further than most people. By drawing on this talent, you can avoid exhaustion. Your social life may take a back seat to work responsibilities and it's possible you will be lonely for friends. When you do get together with your nearest and dearest, let it be casual and inexpensive. You don't have to spend a lot of money to have fun. In fact, you'll enjoy yourself much more at informal gatherings, when you can let your hair down and put your feet up. Fortunately, this trend sits well with your frugal nature.

This isn't a good year to splurge on fads; sensible, durable items will bring the best value. One thing you will have to guard against is idle chatter. In 2009, actions speak louder than words. The Year of the Earth Ox poses a wonderful opportunity to expand your family. Get married, have a child or invite an older relative to come live with you. "The more, the merrier" should be your motto as far as your home life is concerned. What could be nicer for a family-oriented animal like you?

Money for the Rat
Your best bet for making money this year is to acquire valuable skills. The more you know, the more attractive you will be to prospective employers. If you've been thinking of going back to school to get an advanced degree, this is the year to do so. An ambitious animal like you won't need much prompting to go back to school.

The Earth Ox year favors long-term ventures of all kinds. It may be necessary for you to take a thankless part-time job as a means to work your way through school or up the career ladder, but don't let that get you down. Although you may not have an impressive position with a huge salary, you will be paying your bills. You can even put some money into savings with a little thought and planning. Keep the big picture in mind at all times in 2009.

Love for the Rat
If you want to make a good impression on somebody, you need to demonstrate your worth. Bragging will get you nowhere. When you want to strike up a conversation with someone, talk about substantive issues like religion, politics, books and movies. Making a serious commitment is highly favored for Rats this year; getting engaged or married could be in the cards. If you do decide to take the plunge, do it soberly and reverently. Eloping at a Las Vegas chapel could have disastrous results in an Earth Ox year, so opt for a traditional ceremony instead.

In the event you are single, you could meet someone special at work or at a professional gathering. Take things slow, as the Ox frowns on impulsive behavior. If you're in a relationship, you may decide to start a business with your beloved. That may greatly appeal to you, as Rats enjoy spending every spare moment with the one they love.

Sailing...me? Yeap

Away from seriousocity and into some leisure, I went sailing! Yeap, not on a tiny three seater sailboat but rather a ten seater or more sailboat. I met the owner of Petima, the boat, Captain Peter and his wife Aideen who is from Ireland. I've been on so many boats in the past from a small wooden craft to a dinghy to a big white boat. Dad's a wannabe fisherman, he fishes in his spare time, hence the different types of boats we have in our very own little yacht club in Berakas, minus the sea though but we have plenty of beer! So that's a good thing. The dinghy experience was a dreadful one at first but eventually turned out to be quite an adventure especially on Brunei rivers. Ya just don't exactly know when the crocodiles would bite/eat the inflatables off the dinghy, if you know what I mean. The experience of boarding a sailboat, to add up to my boat list, is very different. In a sailboat, you do away with engines and only dependable on wind power. It makes the roaring of the engines at mute and all you can hear is the boat parting the river when it moves against it and the ooohh sooo wonderful feeling of the breeze in your hair and not to mention me, Ck, basking in the sun with the boat moving on motion. Its was simply relaxing or how the teenagers these days put it 'Chillaxing'.
You can go day sailing or catch the Brunei sunset and even have fine dining on the boat. Or perhaps you can have your pre-wedding shots too...I was thinking more of having a Poker Night in the boat. Whatcha reckon poker buddies? Yes or a no go? I take it as a Yes. We took off at Menteri, walked bare foot into the boat. Just kicking it in, basking in the sun, had some orange juice, listened to some music, had some laughters. It was all good fun. And oh yeah, the boat is indoors and outdoors, fear not if it rains. There is a kitchen, dining lounge, toilet with shower, master bedroom if you're feeling a little bit cozy or snuggly. Ahem. Cough. The service has been endorsed by Brunei Tourism and you can make your bookings at 8722 347 or email bohariabd@yahoo.com.

Choeung Ek Genocidal Center in Cambodia

It takes about 40 minutes or less from the Residence of the Brunei Embassy to get to the killing fields. Admission to get into the Choeung Ek Genocidal Center is USD$2 / person. I guess the price has gone down a dollar because the ticket states USD$3. The entrance fee paid for will contribute to development and conservation of the center and sponsorship for the poor and talented students which is all well worth it. The Choeung Ek Genocidal Center is an unique and special place which reflects the most barbarious and cruel crime committed by the Ultra Communist Khmer Rouge during the 1975-1979. My visit starts with paying respect to the spirits of the victims by offering flowers and lighting an incense in front of the Memorial Charnel, with that I donated a dollar. The Memorial Charnel was built in the center in 1988. Here about 20000 people including foreigners were executed and murdered. There are about 129 mass graves and about 8000 human skulls at the site bear testimony to this unspeakable crime, in order to remember the spirits of victims at the site and as well as over 3 million victims throughout the country, a charnel was built. Friends have been there two years ago and they describe the center as a place where you can literally walk on human skulls and bones. Right now, it has all been cleared up and only remains of clothing are left on the grounds of the site. Towards the end of the visit, I bought 2 books, How Pol Pot Came To Power and The Killing Fields. I also bought the winner for Best Documentary, Cannes and New York Film Festival 2003, The Khmer Rouge Killing Machine S21and The Killing Fields DVDS both for USD$6. The tree above was used as a tool to hang a loudspeaker to make the sound louder to avoid the moan of victims while they were being executed.

Extreme poverty, 1/3 of Cambodians live on less than $1 per day

‘I never see that adventure side in you, I never could have guessed It.’ said Reza. It is not the very first time I’ve heard that line, let’s just say one too many to remember. This crazy idea of mine started when my friend Ireal told me that he had met Ram Bahadur Bamjan, the budda boy who lives in the jungle of Southern Nepal. The meet up with Bamjan and tapping Ireal on the head known to many as the “touch of the divine” has let Ireal plans to build a school in one of the remote provinces of Nepal. His story was so inspirational that had let me to soul search and find out my place on earth or my calling. Stories of my journey may not be as inspirational as Ireal’s but it has led me to be a much calmer person. This was my third backpacking trip after a big one in Japan four years ago. From Kuala Lumpur, I boarded a plane to Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, did my city tour with a map provided by the guest house. The next day, took a bus down to the Cu Chi tunnels and the Cao Dai Temple, it took us 10 hours, a whole day’s trip to complete the sights with stops for loo breaks of course. The next day, we took a seven hour bus to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where I was held up at the border of Vietnam and Cambodia. I was stranded for an hour and the bus left with my food, wet tissue and water bottle. When things were settled with my documents, I had to take a lift from another bus, f.o.c. doesn’t exists in countries like this so it wasn’t really like a hitchhike, I had to pay USD 20 for my bus trip to Cambodia as I had another ferry to cross. I spent Hanukah in Phnom Penh before heading to another seven hour bus journey to Siem Reap, home to one of the world’s most famous heritage sites. Looking back at my whirlwind trip in December of war memorials, tunnels, land mines, acid throwing, the Mekong Naga, remnants of the Angkorian capitals, and the pinnacle of the ancient Khmer architecture, the prisons, the killing fields, art and civilization, I learnt a lot from the trip even by looking at heart-wrenching children begging on the streets with no clothing on their body and how the Muslims live in the banks of the river, in their boats with only minimal food to feed on…I really have gotten to appreciate how blessed I was. January 11th marks the 30th anniversary of the overthrow of Cambodia from the brutal forces of Pol Pot.

Tuol Sleng Prison in Phnom Penh

Depressing. Upsetting. Disturbed. The tragedy that many suffered during the era of the S21 (1975-1979). It takes about 20 minutes or less from the Residence of the Brunei Embassy to get to the genocide museum, known to many now, was a former Khmer Rouge S-21 Prison and it was formerly a school. The entrance is only USD 2 per entry. The historical museum of genocide opened to the public in 1980. The Khmer Rouge (KR) regime used to prison to detain individuals accused of opposing. The word Tuol Sleng literally means a poisonous hill or a place on a mound to keep those who bear or supply guilt. The first sight of the museum, I told my friend it looks like a school and indeed it was a high school turned into prison cells.
Till today, the windows are enclosed by iron bars and covered with tangled barbed wires. This was to prevent possible escapes by prisoners in the days. The victims in the prison were taken from all parts of the country and from all walks of life. They were of different nationalities and included Vietnamese, Laotians, Thais, Indians, Pakistanis, British, Americans, Canadians, New Zealandees and Australians but the vast majority were Cambodians. The civilian prisoners composed of workers, farmers, engineers, technicians, intellectuals, professors, teachers, students, and even ministers and diplomats. The figures of estimated number of prisoners from 1975-1978 were about 10, 499. This does not include the 2000 of children killed by the KR regime at S-21. I bought the S21 DVD documentary to know more about the regime.
Chained Up The gallows...they hang the prisoners upside down, torture them and dipped their heads in pots of dirty, smelly piss.
Individual Cells